Svorinich Sworn In, Vows to Be Accessible, Accountable

A crowd of family members, friends and campaign volunteers packed the Los Angeles City Council chamber Thursday to cheer Rudy Svorinich as he was sworn in as the new councilman for the 15th District.

Svorinich, who earlier this month ousted three-term incumbent Joan Milke Flores to represent the sprawling San Pedro-to-Watts district, does not move into City Hall and officially assume his duties until July 1. But he and the three other new council members--Jackie Goldberg, Richard Alarcon and Laura Chick--arranged the early ceremony, primarily as a gesture of thanks to campaign supporters.

Four busloads of supporters, including former 15th District candidates Diane Middleton and Louis Dominguez, accompanied Svorinich from San Pedro to City Hall. They were joined there by supporters from Watts and other communities in the district.

Also in attendance were council President John Ferraro and Councilmen Mark Ridley-Thomas and Marvin Braude.

“I want to congratulate all of you who sent him to City Hall. We think he’s going to be a great asset,” Ferraro said.

In a short speech after taking the oath of office, Svorinich promised to remember the supporters who put him in City Hall.

“As you know, this thing began more than 18 months ago, and people didn’t give us much of a chance then,” he said. “People thought that it was a folly; some people thought it was a joke, some didn’t think we could do it, but we did.

“I have no illusions that now a great responsibility has been thrust upon me,” Svorinich said. “I would hope you would see in Rudy Svorinich a councilman who is accessible to you, accountable to you and more than any other thing, will not forget the people who put me here. God Bless you.”

Among crowd members, the mood was optimistic.

“It’s a whole new day,” said Gertrude Schwab of Wilmington. “Finally, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. What’s important is that you can really talk to him.”

Edna Aliewine of Watts said she, too, is hopeful.

“I tell you why I like him. I remember at one forum when someone asked him if he’d been coming to Watts,” she recalled. “He said, ‘I’ll tell you the truth, I began coming to Watts regularly when I decided to run for office.’

“Now I liked that; he could’ve pretended he’d been coming there all along, but he didn’t,” Aliewine said. “We asked him if we’d be left out, if he’d start out with us and then leave us standing in the road, and he promised he’d be with us.

“So right now I’m holding him to be a man of his word.”